Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-09-22
EXPERIENCE OF A POLICE MATRON.

IAI hplnNOb VI "A L Ob4On uh AnONs
How She Quieted an Obstreperous
Woman when All Others Had
Failed
Before my recent appointment to the
position of police matron in suburb OF
Boston, writes lady to The Globe,
had heard much of what terrors some
of the arrested women were. and how
il would be impossible for any woman
to manage them. Some had expressed
their opinion that l should get whip
ped, and in view of my slender build
others had rather contemptuously ask
ed me what expected to do If should
have 200 pound woman TO take care
of. Ireplied that should do the same
as if she weighed 100 pounds.
However. in want of any previous
experience with this class of women
and various conflicting notions as to
my fitness for the place, waited my
first case with some anxiety. At last
it came in the person of large. stout
Irish woman. weighing fully 2)0 pounds,
sufficiently drunk to be noisy and quar-
relsome. and spelling for fight.
The officers attention was first at
tracted to her by her noisy dcmonstra-
tons and the crowd which she had
drawn about her. When she saw him
approaching she pulled her hat from her
head. and waving it at him she dared
him to come on. He took her by the
arm and tried TO quiet her and make
her 20 home. This she stoutly refused
to do, determined to fight then and
there. AS 1t was Sunday and a
large crowd gathering. and her n Disc
and abuse increasing, he attempted her
arrest. She Immediately threw herself
upon the ground and he was Obliged
to call upon the citizens to help him.
Another officer came along. and be-
tween them all they conveyed her to
the station. she making desperate re-
sistance at every step.
l was sent for at once, and as soon
as l opened the outer door could hear
the noise. Guided by this l reached
the cell. and found her glaring at tho
officer, who was vainly trying to still
the disturbance. Stepping quietly up to
her. sad: "Well, Mary, what is it?"
She stopped at once and looked puz-
zled.
Before she had time to reply, the Of
iicer requested me to ascertain her
name. Turning to her l said:
Your name is Mary, isn't itp''
YES ma'am," she said. "it is; it's
Marv."
Mary whatP" / asked. Having re-
ceived her reply, i told the officer his
services would not be needed as long
as was there. Upon his departure ]
told her not to be afraid, that l had
come TO be with her. and that no one
should hurt or trouble her. Going up
to her, stroked her har and patted
her face. sooth' ng her excitement as
though she were little child, and
asked her To tell me all the story. OF
course, she had done nothing, but had
been arrested just as she had stepped
off a horse-car and had been thrown
down and dragged to the station. Dur
ing her recital she was very quiet, but
wept freely and bemoaned bitterly her
misfortune. l sympathized with her,
and as | turned TO take off my outside
things look of distress came over her
face.
"Oh. ma'am, you ant a-going TO
leave mep' she said.
"No, Mary" l answered, IF you
will be quiet I'll stay with you all the
time after have taken off my bonnet.
'.If you'll only stay with me, ma am,
I'll never make a bit of noise. I'll be
just as quiet as YOU II want me to be. +"
"All right. / replied; I'll be back
soon."
AS passed into the guard-room the
officer remarked that it was surprising
how quickly she stopped her noise
when / spoke to her. said that l
would guarantee that there would be no
more disturbance from her. When
returned she wanted to know il / would
stay all night. Upon my assuring hel
that would she looked grateful, took
my hand, and allowed me to search her.
Finding that she was still heated and
excited. procured cold water bathed
her head very freely. and she was soon
able to tell a coherent story. left her
after while to herself with an occa-
sional visit, and in few hours had the
pleasure of seeing her compose herself
to sleep. She reused once during the
night and asked for drink and fan,
apologizing for troubling me, went to
sleep, and slept quietly till morning.
When the officer came in the morning,
before she was taken to court. she
stoutly denied having been drunk.
Seeing that there was likelihood of
another disturbance. told him l would
see to it that she answered to the
charge. He left her. and turning to
her said
''Mary, you were drunk. and you
must tell the judge So"
IF You say so. ma am. l will"
And she did. gave her wise counsel,
promised to let her family know where
she was, and shook hands with her.
She babe me an affectionate farewell,
and left her happier, if not better
woman. And this was my night W tn a
'terror."
A Naturalist's Experience with Wasps.
A Norw ch naturalist who was out for